diogenesian discourse

The keyboard is mightier than the machine gun... The political, philosophical and general outpourings of a troubled soul living in Australia and blogging his Vietnam veteran's head off.

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part in the mass-murder of more than 3 million Vietnamese people
on behalf of U.S. Big Business "interests", I'm as mad as a cut snake (and broke) so it might be a bit silly to try to sue me anyway...

Sunday, December 31, 2006

waxing lyrical...

The following songs all contain lyrics which, for one reason or another, knock my socks off.

I just heard them at a poetry reading last night. It read well as poetry which isn't always the case for song lyrics even when they seem ok when sung. These words already achieve emotional dimensions for me without resorting to the charms of melody.

I look forward to taking turns with you, tossing rock or rocks at 2007

Well, I am afraid I should have been born earlier because music from the 20s,30s and 40s is what rocks my boat. My third-favourite lyricist wrote a piece that you might enjoy, Gerry--if you can get past your disdain for the piano :) It's greatest when sung very fast, as in an old recording I have.

I LOVE A PIANOby Irving Berlin

As a child I was wild when the band played,How I ran to the man when his hand swayed.Clarinets were my pets and the slide trombone I thought was simply divine.

But today when they play I could hiss themEvery bar is a jar to my systemBut there's one musical instrument That I call mine.

I love a piano, I love a pianoI love to hear somebody playOn the piano, a grand pianoIt simply carries me away.I know a fine way to treat a SteinwayI love to run my fingers o'er the keys, the ivoriesAnd with the pedal I love to meddleWhen Padarovsky comes this wayI'm so delighted, if I'm invited,to hear that long-haired genius play.So you can keep your fiddle and your bowGive me a p - i - a - n - o - - oh - ohI love to sit right beside an uprightOr a high-toned baby grand!

When the green tetrazine starts to warbleI grow cold as an old piece of marbleI am lude to the crude little party-thingA-who don't know when fall.

At my best I detest a sopranoBut I run to the one at the pianoI always love the accompaniment and that's because--

I love a piano, I love a pianoI love to hear somebody playOn the piano, a grand pianoIt simply carries me away.I know a fine way to treat a SteinwayI love to run my fingers o'er the keys, the ivoriesAnd with the pedal I love to meddleWhen Padarovsky comes this wayI'm so delighted, if I'm invited,to hear that long-haired genius play.So you can keep your fiddle and your bowGive me a p - i - a - n - o - - oh - ohI love to sit right beside an uprightOr a high-toned baby grand!

While I love music I'm probably more attracted to melody, chord structure and rhythm so your question is indeed a challenge - expect me to come back to this thread a few (thousand) times after these first few that spring to mind (for different reasons):- Flame Trees (Cold Chisel)- Reckless (Australian Crawl)- Miss Shapiro (801)- Strange Fruit (Billie Holliday)- Desperado (Eagles)- anything by Gilbert and Sullivan

i'm still teaching myself to listen to songs for lyrics n not just the bass-line n the beats.... my taste is probably a lot 'younger' n less connoisseur-ified than ur mates...

out of 2006 i liked Snowpatrol's album: Eyes Open the most. it's a bit of an epic. (You heard of them?) i think they totally aced the marriage between lyrics n music (which is almost extinct in popular music for my generation).

i like:

you're cinematic razor sharpa welcome arrow through the heartUnder your skin feels like homeElectric shocks on aching bonesThere is a darkness deep in youA frightening magic I cling to

and

Your soft skin is weeping/ a joy you can't keep in

leonard cohen's a supreme lyricist... but his songs are kinda too depressing for someone my age. i found a poet to match his genius from my generatio: it's this hip hop artist from the big smoke in a duo called fbcfabric & reindeer. if u get a chance listen to "soulsuck" or "passenger". (could send u it) can't find the lyrics online cus its underground urban stuff n spits lyrics too fast for me to scribe out for ya.

Kurt is being anything but, eh? I also heard some Snow Patrol while on hols - offspring no 2's choice. Some more of my favourites:- nearly anything by Simon and Garfunkel but particularly Dangling Conversation and America ("Kathy I'm lost I said, though I knew she was sleeping, I'm empty and aching and I don't know why")- the Beatles - For no one- the Band - It makes no difference (always tears me up and I wish I could play it properly).

I am with Kurt Reply, back in the past just lovin anything by Cole Porter "even educated fleas do it, Let do it, Let's fall in love". Syncopation is the icing on the cake, try "Anything Goes". andI'm with Phill and Paul Simon: imagine PS was married to carrie fisher who also CLEARLY has 'a way with words' - what great fights they must have had while breaking up.

The absolute no contest saddest song lyric ever written bar none and no correspondence will be entered into, isKris Kristofferson " .. and make believe you love meone last time,For The Good Times".

a heartbreaker.

which leads me to this: cheery pop music is often quite depressing, yet blues songs are mostly UPLIFTING.

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